Thursday, August 31, 2006

I got an email from a friend today stating that gas prices would probably drop close to $2 by Thanksgiving. The tone of the email (quite frankly) was elation! But why?

Personally, I don't understand why we should be jumping for joy at the prospect of $2 gas. I know for a fact I am not the only one who remembers when gas hovered around $1 per gallon back in the late 90s. Over the past few years we've just gotten used to heightened gas prices for reasons that are either unknown or just plain beyond comprehension. So alot of us will be siced that gas is going from the low $3s to the low $2s, but not me! I'll be excited when gas is back at $1 (which it may never be). The fact that alot of us have NO CHOICE but to drive to certain places and that we've been paying these ridiculous prices for so long will probably mean a drop for a few months that only ends in another increase sometime in 2007.

In some ways, I wish gas prices will keep rising so that consumers would find alternate methods of transportation which would ultimately force car companies to be more innovative and design more fuel-efficient cars across the board. Not just hybrids or super-small cars that get 60 miles per gallon. The idea of a fuel-efficient Range Rover sport might *seeem* far-fetched, but I bet the engineers at these car companies know it's not unrealistic. And ultimately, forcing them to make more fuel-efficient cars would help the environment and make life better for those that follow us.

Like I did! I didn't know The Roots NEW ALBUM (Game Theory) dropped Tuesday. But as an FYI to all those who like real hip-hop, you might want to do what I am going to do and go cop this joint off GP!

$50 says this album is better musically than anything that's dropped in the last month. I'll bet that too! It's a shame how this album's release kinda went under the radar (or is it just me). The only news I've heard about The Roots in the last week is that Peedi Peedi might be joining them for a year.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

(UPDATE: Has to post thee comments from my homegirl Lauren)#1: I think this ruined my lunch 4 hours in advance.#2: The ignorance of kids is bliss: The ignorance of adults is degrading.#3: Stupid dances have now elevated above my distain for the word 'picnic' on my "Don't even..." list."Open up the door nikka! PINKY gotsta PEE-PEE!" - Pinky from Friday After Next

"‘Chicken Noodle Soup’ is the act of urinating on someone inside the shower. The ‘Can of Coke on the side’ is when you do a number two. I thought everyone knew this, but apparently the idea of these acts are all the rage of negros nationwide."

OR THIS:

"Do any of you rememeber the dance called the ‘Harlem Shake’? It was originally called the ‘Vibrator Orgasm’ after one of the little harlem jig kids watched his mother convulsing after she placed a Magic Wand inside her behind."

And he puts it all into perspective here:

"I have been to restaurants with Black girls who won’t eat unless the flatware is washed in front of their eyes, and now they are dancing around to the notion of being peed upon. 'Let it rain, clear it out, let it rain some more'"

Now I left a comment on the blogpost stating how gross I thought all this was and that I really hope it's NOT TRUE. But normally these guys are on point. I didn't know this crap until I just read the blogpost and forgive me if I am accepting this as truth prematurely. But if this is indeed true, it just goes to show that we (adults) can be hypnotized by music that's really just a degradation of black folks. And that kids will emmulate anything they think is cool, not knowing that they're really doing something they have NO BUSINESS doing.

At first this was shocking. Then it was sad. Now it's hilarious! Let's put this in perspective...A group that has gotten MTV exposure for about a year and a half and shown no real signs of being DOPE (just cute/sexy/hot/whatever)...Has outsold the greatest hip-hop group of all time! WTF? LMAO! I just think it's pretty ironic how the music industry (when it comes to hip-hop and R&B) is all about exposure, promotion, affiliation, etc. and not really about talent or creativity.

The MTV exposure most definitely drove Danity Kane's stock up. But why did it work this time for Puff Diddy? This didn't work for the first "BAND", Da Band. I guess Puffy learned from that situation and approached this one a bit differently. For the record, in no way am I shytting on Danity Kane. I like their single "Showstopper". But I don't think that single should have been enough to get them more sales than Kast though. Outkast is the most proven group in hip-hop. Period! There's no way that they should have been outsold by Danity Kane considering their history, their fanbase, the movie that coincides with the album and all the publicity surrounding that. It's hard to believe.

I guess what people are saying is true...It's not about the music or the creativity anymore. It's about the media and the marketing and the exposure. The fact that Paris Hilton even shows up in the top 50 should tell us what's really going on. I haven't bought the last 3 Outkast albums. I'm more of a fan of their earlier work(s). But I respect their willingness to take risks and do something that other people/groups are afraid to do. But it appears (from these sales numbers) that people don't want anything different, they want the same ole' same ole'. What's REALLY different about Danity Kane from other girl groups? What happened to the other girl group Diddy had (I can't even remember the name)? The flavor of the moment *appears* to be Danity Kane. But I hope those girls realize that as soon as those sales numbers drop next week (and Dro or Kast take the #1 spot), it might all be downhill from there. And after their second single comes out - if it flops - it might be all downhill from there. You see what happened to the last girl group on Bad Boy...But for now, congrats and enjoy!

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Most of you already know that I just finished up a summer course a month or so ago. Well, the fall semester begins tomorrow (today for most of you reading this probably) and I have to say that I am not ready nor am I excited about this. Here's why:

1. I don't have any books for the two classes I'm taking. This is pretty much normal procedure for me since undergrad. Back then it was because I was begging my moms for dough and she would get it to me until around week 1 or 2 or 3 of classes. Nowadays it's because I'm begging my moms...Nah, just joking. Just because I am lazy and I don't want to dish out the dough until after I go to the first class and see if we're actually going to use the book. A lot of times in this program it seems like the professors teach the content on their own and recommend the book only as a "resource". Well, I'm "resourceful" on my own (shot out to my mom who passed that trait down to me). So EFF the book unless I need it fo real fo real!

2. I just got back off a weekend of drunken splendor! Do you really think I'm trying to sit in class for 4 hours on Wed. and Thurs. without a Caramel Macchiato and a liter of Red Bull energy drink to keep me awake? Hell NO! Aside from that, I still haven't caught up on sleep from this weekend and I am looking forward to potentially having a repeat of last weekend, this weekend. So how am I going to focus in class with thoughts of laying back with a stogie in my mouth (no johnnycakes) and a cup of Vodka and pineapple juice in my hand?

3. For the most part, school's boring. Yeah, I said it. The fun part is doing the presentation at the end of class knowing that it's the LAST thing you have to do and then it's over. Aside from that and feeling like you're moving one step closer to your goal, school (for me) is pretty boring. Granted, I'm taking a Project Management course and an IT Security course so these two may prove interesting (unlike Quantitative Analysis...ICK!) to me, I'm still not getting my hopes up.

4. Football season is about to start and even though the Redskins have looked horrendous the last two weeks, a true/die-hard fan like myself still thinks we're going to win the Superbowl and will watch every game as if it's the last game Clinton Portis (AKA Souf-feast Jerome) will ever play. Aside from my Skins, there's also the fantasy football league I'm in which will make a lot of games relevant to me that would otherwise be unwatchable. On top of that there's the 4 NFL pools that I am in this season. So football will probably take over my life around week 8 when teams start sorting themselves out in their divisions. And if the Redskins are at least 4-4 at that time, I'll probably still be dumb enough to think we're going to win it all. Hail to the Redskins...Eff the Cowgals!

5. THE WIRE! Honestly though, do I need to say more? The WIRE is back on Sept. 10th on HBO and I am losing sleep already. Will Marlo take over the city? Will Avon begin a war with Marlo and his crew? Will the politicians be as shady as I think they're going to be? What is really good with McNulty now? There are just some of the thoughts I have. I won't even get into my theories of what's going to happen. Just know that I will be catching every episode of this show either when it airs or on HBO OnDemand.

Needless to say, numbers 4 and 5 will probably take up equal or more time than studying. But somehow I'm sure I'll manage. If I have to cut back on studying to catch the WIRE, make a fantasy football trade, BLOG, or see the Skins game...Well, that's just one of those sacrifices you have to make in life. It's gonna be tough guys, but as you can see, I'm going to do what I know is the right thing to do.

Wish me luck everybody! Oh yeah, wait till the NBA season starts. I'll be in an NBA fantasy league just like last year as well...Should have made that #6.

Everybody really should take the time to read this post. Every once in a while we need a reminder of just how silly hip-hop fans can be. How much we love drama...How much we will buy into anything thrown our way under the "'guise of the moment"...How much we are missing what really matters and turning our attention to the stuff "they" want us to pay attention to.

I got an email today saying someone somewhere contracted HIV by sitting in a movie theatre seat and getting a being stuck by a needle in the buttocks that was placed in the seat maliciously. Emails like this make me say "Thanks for circulating this shyt so crazy folks have new ideas to try out." This email, the email about the needles in the gas pump, and numerous other chain email forwards that really just scare the shyt out of people for no good/valid reason other than the fear of contracting HIV really are silly to me.

Number one, none of these things are every backed up by an official news report that can be found on a new publication's website. Number two, I think it can just plant bad seeds in the minds of some of these "bad people" out here. While it's good to inform people, peep the source of some of this information before you guys send it out and have people scared to pump their gas or go to the movies.

Monday, August 28, 2006

Went to NY this past weekend and had a BALL! Won't divulge all the drunken stupified details, but I will mention the highlights.

1. Saw Jay-Z in the 40/40 Club on Saturday. Definitely NUMBER ONE on my list. Homie's shorter than I thought and looked skinny to me (not Swizz Beatz skinny, but small build). He was chilling in the hallway (surrounded by 4 super-human sized bodyguards) talking to a few people when I was walking through. It's funny because I was a little starstruck to be honest, but most people who were around him were looking like it was nothing. Maybe it was just me.

3. Manna's buffet in Harlem. Soul food buffet on 125th St. in Harlem. VICIOUS. No DIPSET sightings in Harlem by the way. No bloods either.

4. Rode the Kingda Ka at Six Flags in Jersey on Friday. The tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world. Hella fast. Waited in line for FOUR HOURS but it was worth it.

5. Beef patties on Jamaica Avenue in Queens. We went to Queens...Rode through Fiddy's grandmama's neighborhood too. And did a lil window-shopping on Jamaica Avenue. I also went to White Castle for the first time too. Pretty good.

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Had to post this one because that line kills me every time I hear it. This one's from XXL! I'm beginnging to wonder if TIP can impose himself on enough of Dro's material for Dro to actually go more than Gold. Personally, I think that not dropping the album at the height of the hype surrounding the Shoulda Lean joint was a HUGE mistake. Especially if "Rubberband Banks" is really the new single he's dropping.

Just in case you guys didn't know, Cass is home. His last album was a banger/sleeper. This joint's ayight, I definitely like the beat and Cass raps are good as usual. This dude is fire when he wanna be please believe it. Or better yet, ASK FREEWAY! OR cop his last album.

"This nigga Ike with the Iverson jersey, light-skinned with herpesFuckin sisters in Harlem, Brooklyn and D.C.This is the problem cause he never tell 'em he got itfrom lettin fags suck him off, Rikers Island in nine-threeDrives a Benz, hangs at all the parties, all the concertsBackstage where the stars be, rockin they shirtsin bitches faces like clockwork - what's your name, where you from?Chain blingin, thinkin girls everywhere is dumbTakin pride in ruinin they livesSo they could never have babies, and they could never be wivesHe never used a condom, give him head he got yaMet the wrong bitch and now he dead from the monster AIDSI contemplate, believin in karmaThose on top could just break, and won't be eatin tomorrowI know some bitches who be sleepin on niggaz dreams, they leaveWhen that nigga blow, she the first bitch on her kneesKnowin dudes that's neglectin they seedsInstead of takin care of 'em they spendin money on treesI pray for you, deadbeat daddiesCause when them kids get grown it's too late for youNow you old and you gettin shitted onIt's all scientific, mystic, you know the Earth and the starsDon't hesitate to say you heard it from NasWhat is destined shall beGeorge Bush killer 'til George Bush kills meMuch blessings be healthy, remember"

"Black Americans make up 13 percent of the U.S. population but account for over 50 percent of all new cases of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. That infection rate is eight times the rate of whites. Among women, the numbers are even more shocking—- almost 70 percent of all newly diagnosed HIV-positive women in the United States are black women. Black women are 23 times more likely to be diagnosed with AIDS than white women, with heterosexual contact being the overwhelming method of infection in black America."

We all know this is going to end up touching on topics like down-low bruhs, promiscuity, hip-hop and objectification of women, etc. Though that will be difficult to do in a single hour, I am SURE that they'll at least be mentioned.

"AIDS is an epidemic in the African American community and it's spreading fast."

Word around the interWeb is that Beanie Sigel dissed Jay-Z at a concert a few days ago. Allegedly Beans has been dropped from Rocafella. I am NOT SURE IF THIS IS TRUE as it is all interWeb speculation. But I am 100% sure if it is true, that there will be either video or audio of the alleged diss floating around the net soon.

My questions are:

1. Was Beanie really still under the Roc? I know his last album dropped under DDMG (Dame Diddy Dash Music Group). So when exactly did he move from the Roc to DDMG? And when did he move back from DDMG to the Roc?

2. Why would Jay drop Beans? He is probably the most street credible rapper under Rocafella or on Def Jam for that matter. I mean Jeezy got the streets but Beans IS THE STREETS! This fool JUST got shot like a month ago.

3. If Jay was gonna drop Beans from the label, wouldn't he know that he's got to be prepared to get dissed or maybe even physically harmed? I don't put ANYTHING past the Broad Street Bully.

4. Does Beans really want to diss Jay-Z? The outcome of this could be pretty bad for him. He could alienate alot of fans because Jay-Z has legions of loyal fans. Would people have to choose between liking Jay or liking Beans? Also, Beans versus Jay would be a CLASSIC battle. "Compared to Beans you wack!" Remember that from Nas's Ether? If they battled on wax, it'd probably equal a win for Jay in the mainstream eyes, but a win for Beans in the streets. But I doubt Jay would EVER battle Beans at this point. He's got alot more to loose. Though this would be far more of a challenge than CamRon, I doubt he'll respond if it's true. But he'd have to come harder (no johnnycakes) than "I'm in the air I don't hear ni99as corny raps"...That's for sure!

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

(UPDATE: I'm a HYPOCRITE! I gotta fess up to this shyt! I heard the Omarion version of this joint. I liked it. I listened to the 50 joint again and I laughed my a$$ off! Damn Mike, you fuggin hypocritical piece of shyt!)

WE NOW INTERRUPT YOUR REGULAR PROGRAMMING FOR SOME WACK MUSIC----------------------------------------------------------------"Now I shouldn't have to tell you I'm a superstar"

If this ain't some watered down shyt, I dunno what is...

50 Cent - Ghetto Superstar

If you actually listen to this self-love session being passed off as a song, you will see that this dude has lost his effing mind!!! He must have had a bottle of KY and this outfit on when he made this joint. LMAO! I suspect Pharrell had something to do with this beat.

And ya'll wanna talk about Jay-Z being cocky, MAN! I know this joint will probably end up getting heavy rotation in the club. Not even 4 Ciroc and Pineapples could get me wasted enough to enjoy this song. Change the content, put another artist on the beat, I might actually like it. But this dude just blew me with this track.

He even has the audacity to say "The streets is gon' love it!" LMAO! ----------------------------------------------------------------NOW, BACK TO YOUR REGULAR PROGRAMMING THE STREETS ...

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Some of ya'll MIGHT be mad at me, but I don't really have a problem with THIS...

As long as it's kids dancing like this. To me, it's just kids having fun and dancing. It's no different than the Harlem Shake or the Snap dance stuff we've all come to either love or hate. I personally don't like the chicken noodle soup dance crap, but I wouldn't be mad if I saw my lil cousins doing it just to have fun and wild out for a second.

But aside from that. If you are a grown and somewhat edu-ma-cated adult, you can see that this dance may be interpreted as blackface-ish. So for that reason, as an educated adult, you should stop trying to do the dance and just go eat yourself a nice hot bowl of chicken noodle soup (I prefer Lipton's Soup Secrets).

This might just be the next big dance craze for the "kids" so expect to get more familiar with this crap. I'm trying to be open-minded here for the kids because I'd rather see this than see them poppin their booties, doing Michael Jackson pelvic thrusts, or some other ghetto a$$ shyt they've seen in a video. ANYTHING that's does not have sexual innuendos as part of the dance is okay by me when it comes to kids. Sexual innuendos or violent innuendos. But of course, the jury's out and people are really blow by the fact that this dance is picking up steam.

I JUST took a look at this post that my man Dane did on his blog entitled "Color Struck". Having been accused of this before and having had many many conversations with different people about this topic and other topics related, I found the video he has posted VERY VERY interesting, enlightening, and somewhat sad at the same time. I think most of you guys will find this pretty relevant to the society we live in today and how black people look at one another. Not to mention, accurate.

I mentioned this documentary a few days ago. If you didn't see it last night, YOU MISSED a GREAT beginning to the story of Hurricane Katrina and its effects on the people of the Gulf Coast. I actually made time last night to sit down in front of the boob tube at 9pm and watch the first two acts (there are 4) of this documentary.

Honestly, I was expecting to see Spike Lee's face within the first ten minutes. I don't know why, I just did. Instead I saw what appeared to be a pretty objective view of what happened prior to Katrina hitting; what happened while Katrina was hitting; and what happened the few days after Katrina had done so much devastating damage. And this was just the first two acts. I am not sure if I am going to watch acts 3 & 4, but I encourage everybody to watch acts 1 & 2 either Tuesday the 29th or on HBO On Demand.

You can catch all 4 acts on Tuesday, August 29th at 9pm on HBO. The total running time is 4 hours so it's something you have to be prepared to watch, especially if you are prone to getting emotional. I can't front, I definitely shed a tear last night (shoosh, don't tell nobody) while watching the documentary.

After watching the show I have a developed some new opinions on how things were handled, what really went down with the levees, and what *may* ultimately take place in New Orleans. Thank you Spike for helping educate me and open my eyes to the enormity of the tragedy that was Hurricane Katrina and her aftermath.

Monday, August 21, 2006

Once again I'll be heading up 95 for a trip to the NYC. This time, straight leisure trip. No bachelor parties. No college visits...None of that! Just to go and have fun. So all that needs to be done is preparing for a good time so I can go get on that...

So this is not just a problem in DC, in Baltimore, in New York....But in urban America. My honest opinion/assessment...

"Capitalism doesn't care about POOR people!"

Gentrification: The restoration and upgrading of deteriorated urban property by middle-class or affluent people, often resulting in displacement of lower-income people (Source: dictionary.com).

As you can see, the definition of gentrification encompasses "displacement" along income lines. Many of us see it from a perspective of race. Whether you look at it from the perspective of income or race, the outcome is still the same. That is, communities in urban America are being bought by large corporations and the people who live there are left with...I dunno actually, what are they left with?

So whether you're poor or you're a minority, or both, keep this in mind...Build up your communities. Build wealth WITHIN your communities. This gives you economic and political power! Imma keep it real with you guys though, I am still learning about just how deep this issue is and just how much it will impact our communities.

--------------------Where's Pharrell? I was watching this video and expecting him to pop-up somewhere. The song is DOPE though. I mean, at least the beat. Fergie - London Bridge

The video...Well, as a guy, I think it's okay. Not the best, but one question...Why is songs about getting/giving head, going down, etc. so popular right now? And more importantly, why are these songs being put out there to kids? 106 & South Park, TRL/Direct Effect...

One last thing, I think we should create a new genre of music for songs like this...Let's call it hip-POP. We can throw Fergie, Gwen Stefani, Ciara, Christina Milian, etc. in there. Basically everybody who can find acceptance with the pop crowd (for whatever reason), but likes to use a hip-hop influence to garner some popularity within the hip-hop world as well. As usual, I could go on for days...

Fergie looking like a cross between Carmen Electra, Christina Milian, and Catwoman...Is it just me or did she used to be more attractive? Oh, it WAS JUST ME!

Friday, August 18, 2006

Mannnnnnnn, this joint took me back! My man Bay still has my cassette single (what you know about cassettes? What you know about singles?) of this joint I let him borrow back when this joint FIRST CAME OUT! This was the SHYT!

ENJOY!!!!

"Look in my hot eyes and tell me how could you be cold?"

"Check the dialect from my diaphragm MY MANNNN!"

"Me and my crew walk the streets at night like looking for the right one, BABY!"

"I be dedicated to the moon cuz it's black, resurrect come back, tell me about the other side jack!"

2. "In the late summer of 2004, ESPN has learned, Clarett traveled to Los Angeles and was introduced by a rapper friend to Hai Waknine, 35, a convicted felon who prosecutors believe is a member of an Israeli crime organization called The Jerusalem Group. Waknine, who at the time was being indicted on extortion and money-laundering charges, became Clarett's sponsor and adviser, along with Waknine's attorney, David Kenner. Waknine provided Clarett with cash, a BMW, bodyguards, drivers and beachfront lodging in Malibu, with the understanding that he would be reimbursed and receive 60 percent of Clarett's rookie contract."FYI - David Kenner used to be Suge Knight's attorney...Hmmmnnnn. If you read about the deaths of Tupac and Biggie and the ousting of Dr. Dre from Death Row, you'll learn that this dude's got QUITE the reputation out on the Left Coast

3. Clarett's lawyers "received the threatening postcard this week."

4. "It's no secret, however, that Waknine provided Clarett with a life of luxury from August 2004 to August 2005....the FBI contacted Clarett about his relationship with Waknine before the 2005 draft, and it is unknown whether Clarett cooperated." Did this FOOL SNITCH? OMG!

5. About that letter..."It came on a small index card like you use in school or whatever, and whatever language that was on it was actually cut and pasted in the old-fashioned sense, like typed and then cut out and pasted onto it," he said. "And then, obviously, the identity of the sender has been pretty well kept ... they took steps to keep that ... "

My point:

Okay, let's all pray for Maurice Clarett because he was obviously/probably involved in something much much bigger than any of us thought. Now it makes sense why he had the vest on, to protect himself. Now it makes sense why he had the guns and hatchet (LOL), to protect himself. From the jump I said that was the reason. Some people (Tony Kornheiser, who I like a lot by the way) said that he had all this weaponry and protection b/c he was going to hurt someone else. Well, I think he had all that stuff for self-defense. NOT to be an outright killer.

So maybe the safest/best place for him is jail. But when he comes home...Mmmmnnnn, mmmmnnnnn, mmmmmnnnn..."It's a d@mn shame what happened to..."

Thursday, August 17, 2006

2. He waited until the girl's mother was on her DEATH BED to tell her that he had something to do with the girl's death.

3. When asked how she died he said: "It would take several hours to describe — to describe that...There's no way I could be brief about it. It's a very involved series of events."

4. When asked if he was innocent, he said "NO"

My take on this:

This dude's conscience is KILLING him and has been ever since he killed that girl. How he killed her. Well, you know I already think he's a pedophile....So that means he did what pedophiles do to kids then he did some crazy psycho shyt before he killed her. I feel the electricity from the electric chair already. Only thing that might save him is that he seems to be remorseful.

Granted, he's innocent until proven guilty but he's already stated that he's NOT innocent. So now it's just a matter of finding out the gorrific details and waiting for the made-for-TV movie that all the baby boomers will be taking off work to watch while we're sitting back shaking our heads at how this dude looks like Robert Patrick in Terminator II.

Because I am cheap with my VZ wireless plan and I only have like the $34.99/month joint, I got unlimited IN text messaging and 500 "out" (people who don't have VZ wireless service) text messages added to my plan for like $10 a month or something like that.

BUT...

I am realizing that most of you friends of mine don't have Verizon Wireless. So all those text messages I send you and that I receive from you guys are adding up. I haven't exceeded the 500 text message limit yet, but I can feel it coming (no johnnycakes).

The random email chain forwards I get really upset the hell out of me. Especially that joint about "every time I call it says a message telling me you're busy giving head!" OMG that shyt is annoying and SILLY! More importantly, it is counted as a "out" message. So please refrain from sending me those joints. It's not cool over email and it's not cool over text!

Aside from messages like that, I get random messages from friends like "I just got a ticket while driving to Atlanta". Man so the f&ck what! As long as you're not in danger and you're in good health...Call me when you GET THERE! Jeez!

The worst part of this text messaging problem is that as of right now you CANNOT stop someone from sending you text messages! So that means no matter how many rage-filled blogposts I put up or how many times I tell someone to just call me...They still can send me text messages that count towards my limit. I think this is an evil evil thing that VZ wireless is VERY cool with because it costs me mone. And that puts money in their pockets!

So my only solution is to upgrade my package to unlimited text messaging to/from everyone. WHY? Because I text message people all the time. So much so that people often call me out and say "Instead of texting me all the time, you should pick up the phone!" So yes, I have been operating under a complete double-standard that I've set for others not to text me if they're not a VZ wireless customer, but I will text them at every chance I get. YES, I'M a complete HYPOCRITE!

But you know what, I will no longer spazzz out about the text messages (except the stupid ones like I mentioned above), I'll just pay the extra $20 or whatever it is per month to not have to worry. Verizon, you smart BASTIDS! Lazy people like me would rather pay more than stop text messaging. "Vous etes tres intelligent et je suis tres paresseux"

Big Dummy Lonny Baxter (who by the way, has a history of racking off outside clubs) went and let off shots near the White House (and I ain't talking about Rick Ross's "White House". If you care to see footage of this clown getting locked up...Check it out:

The only legit excuse I could allow Lonny to spit is that he was shooting at someone to defend himself. But according to my man Rah, Mr. Baxter has a history of poppin off outside clubs. Real smart considering you're highly conspicuous because you're 1) a former Maryland hoop star, 2) You play or have played in the NBA, 3) You're 6 foot 8 inches, and 4) You drive a Pearl white Range Rover.

NOTE - What's funny to me is that I was gonna call him Rev. Leroy Lonny Love (David Alan Grier on a Martin episode) and come to find out, his middle name is actually Leroy. LMAO!Lil Wayne:

Lil Weeziana got locked this week as well. Prescription pills, weed...The only thing he was missing was the gun. Thank goodness you didn't have that on you Weezie. One of your weed carriers must have had it. Rappers just don't get it to they? I mean there are REALLY hip-hop cops dummy! They are WATCHING YOU! Yet you still try to get away with doing illegal stuff. I mean it's not like they're infringing on your "civil liberties"...The stuff you're doing is ILLEGAL! Gosh!Ross at #1:

The album is a 3.5/5 MIKE's for me. But maybe you'll like it. I'll probably SPILL IT in the next couple days. Lil Kim signing with Interscope:

Smooches ;-)

Am I the only person who finds it funny that Lil Kim will now be labelmates with Fiddy? A guy she dislikes and has made a diss song about ("He in C-T with a d&ck in his butt"...remember that line? LOL). Now she and 50 will be labelmates and if Interscope is as saavy as they should be, they'll want these two to make a song together because that'd create hell-buzz for them both.

Can you imagine Lil Kim and 50 in the studio together? I can't. Kim has made it plain and simple she don't like snitches (ie - Lil Cease). Then again, maybe Maino can handle 50 like he did Cease. Jay-Z:

Jigga dropping an album in the next 6 months...Remember where you heard it!Keyshia Cole:

"I CHANGED MY MIIIIIIIIIINNNNND!"

After watching the last few episodes of her reality show on BET, she 'bout to be my NEW girl. I like Keyshia Cole. Even though we all know she can be ghetto, I like her alot. She actually has some sense and can handle herself with tact and maturity. But she just from the streets so she got that edge to her at times. I like her even more now that I have watched a few episodes of that show. Her sister though...WILD!Pac and Biggie freestyle:

My man Dane posted this joint on his blog. Gotta show him some love! If you like Biggie and you like PAC and you never heard them together before, this video might sice you!

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

BUT, I did go see Miami Vice last night and I must say that while the movie wasn't bad nor was it good, I witnessed some of the worst writing/acting in a movie in quite some time. Either the writer (Michael Mann) was a little lazy when writing this or the actors (Farrell and Foxx) just weren't doing a good job.

Now we all know that Jamie Foxx is a talented brotha and Colin is good is his own right (I mean, he's Australian and speaks English better than me without any signs of an accent). So this leads me to believe that the writing was just so horrible that not even Jamie or Colin could save it. There were a lot of quips and jaded phrases being tossed out in a very bravada-driven manner. Meaning, Foxx and Colin would be in precarious situations and all-of-a-sudden throw out some lame, cocky statement to show how confident yet tough they were and it would just come across as fake, purported, and wack. I would like to believe that these two guys could have improvised the script a bit more than it appears they did and made the writing seem a little better. But perhaps it was just an "off" on for both of these cats.

Overall though, I thought the movie was an average film. 3 Stars on this one. The action scenes are GREAT and if you like big guns and people getting knocked off, then you'll like several scenes in this movie. But overall, it just left you wishing there was MORE to it. I can see why it isn't doing too well. One thing is for sure, Jamie and Colin are not Don Johnson and Phillip Michael Thomas. Or should I say Crockett & Tubbs?

A couple items though, that I wanted to make note of from this film:

1. Colin Farrell (arguably) has a mullet in this film as well as the handlebar mustache like Big Paulie from Orange County Choppers. I found this QUITE hilarious!

"the minimum passing grade for key subjects has been lowered from 70 to 60... With little fanfare or public input, the city school board voted 6-1 in early June, with one abstention, to reduce the minimum passing marks in reading, math and some science classes in the first through 12th grades."

Moreover:

"Minutes of the board's June 13 meeting show that despite concerns about the lack of public debate, the board made the significant policy change in an unusually hurried fashion."

Okay, let me get this straight. In a city with a high murder rate, high STD rate, and poor public school system, the way to a better end is to LOWER the passing grades for READING, MATH, and *some* SCIENCE classes? So not only will we produce kids who are not on the same level as their peers in other school systems, we'll teach them that if they don't try hard to reach level 10, we'll just lower the bar from level 10 to level 8 so they can feel good about themselves. F*cking sad!

Can you tell I am heated about this? Kids deserve more. Kids need more! Kids need to be pushed and have confidence instilled in them. And the city school board is showing NO confidence in the kids of Baltimore. So my question to Baltimorians...Why should YOU show any CONFIDENCE in the school board? Take your kids out of public school and do what you gotta do to get your kids a SOLID EDUCATION. Otherwise, they may get left behind. SPORTS CAN'T SAVE 'EM ALL AND HIP-HOP D@MN SURE AIN'T GONNA SAVE 'EM ALL. But an education might just make it so they don't even need to be saved in the first place!

A move like this not only sets a standard for underachievement and low academic standards, but it also makes you wonder HOW MUCH IS REALLY WRONG with Baltimore city and its school system. In my eye, this is ONE PATHETIC @$$ move! PATHETIC and SAD. These kids already weren't getting a good education and now they're 3.0's are going to really amount to 2.5's in the real world (in comparison to other kids in other school systems).

I learned this lesson the hard way. Coming from Suitland High School (PG County) to Johns Hopkins I realized that not only did my high school not prepare me well for college, it didn't prepare me well for much else I would experience in my next four years of live either (most of all diversity). My teachers did a good job of encouraging me and making sure I put in enough effort to get good grades. But they HAD to know that I needed to be pushed harder. They went to college. They were living in the "real world". They had to know. But I understand that they're just part of a bigger machine. Some of them will take the risk of pushing the educational envelope (per se), but most will abide by the laws of the system that provides them with a miniscule and menial paycheck.

It took me 1.5 years of college just to adjust the way I read, the way I studied, and the amount of effort I put into schoolwork just for me to get B's and C's. I thought about giving up but was raised better than to do something like that. But I can only imagine the tough time these kids are going to have when-and-if they make it to college. And those who attend colleges that are NOT Historically Black may find it even harder. I know I did.

So from my perspective, a decision like this sends the message that Baltimore city's school board doesn't care about it's kids as much as THEY NEED to or CLAIM to. It sends the message that they're okay with underachieving as long as the school system looks better in comparison to other school systems (on paper that is). It sends the message that we're okay with more "corner-boys" and "younger-than-ever baby mommas". And it sends the message that if you really want your kid to get a half-decent education in the city of Baltimore, send them to private school cuz public school "ain't 'bout shyt!"

I guess what they say might NOT be true. That is, "Baltimore has nowhere to go but up". Everything but the school system huh?